Sole Proprietor

In a sole proprietorship, the business is owned controlled by one individual. That person alone receives the profits and bears the losses from the business, and that person alone is responsible for the debts and obligations of the business. Income and expenses of the business are reported on the proprietor’s individual income tax return, and profits are taxed at the proprietor’s individual income tax rate. If a husband and wife wish to own a business together, they must either form a partnership, corporation or limited liability company (in order to have each of them be an owner of the business) or a sale proprietorship (in which case only one of them be an owner of the business). A married couple who jointly operate an unincorporated business and who file a joint federal income tax return may have a qualified joint venture and can elect not to be treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes provided that the husband and wife are the only members of the joint venture and that both husband and wife materially participate in the running of the business. In this case each spouse will report his or her share as a sole proprietorship.

The sole proprietorship is the simplest form of organization, and the least expensive to establish. There are no statutory requirements unique to this form of organization. From a regulatory standpoint, the business owner only needs to obtain the necessary business licenses and tax identification numbers, register the business name, and begin operations.

Partnership

A general partnership is a business owned by two or more persons who associate to carry on the business as a partnership. Partnerships have specific attributes, which are defined by statute. All partners in a general partnership share equally in the right, and responsibility, to manage the business, and each partner is responsible for all the debts and obligations of the business. Distribution of profits and losses, allocation of management responsibilities, and other issues affecting the partnership usually are defined in a written partnership agreement. Income and expenses of the partnership are reported on federal and state “information” tax returns, which are filed by the partnership. The partners are taxed on their respective share of the partnership’s profits at their individual income tax rates.

Minnesota partnerships are formed and governed only by the Revised Uniform Partnership Act (RUPA), Minn. Stat. § 323A. Partnerships formed under former partnership law are now subject to this chapter. If you were formed under former laws and have not yet consulted with an attorney about the changes in partnership law, you are encouraged to do so immediately.